MasterCard Stops Processing Pornhub After Finding 'Unlawful Content'

MONTREAL ― MasterCard says it will no longer allow its cards to be used on Pornhub, a website owned by the Montreal-based company Mindgeek, after a MasterCard investigation found what it calls illegal material on the site.

Pornhub came under fire last week after the New York Times reported that the website hosts videos of child sexual assaults and exploitations, prompting financial services companies Visa and MasterCard to investigate their relationship with the site.

“Our investigation over the past several days has confirmed violations of our standards prohibiting unlawful content on their site,” MasterCard said in a statement. “As a result, and in accordance with our policies, we instructed the financial institutions that connect the site to our network to terminate acceptance.”

Earlier on HuffPost: MasterCard to investigate claims against Pornhub. Story continues below.

Pornhub denies there is illegal content on its site, saying it employs moderators to screen every video upload. Pornhub and Mindgeek did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Mindgeek is a conglomerate that owns more than 100 websites, production companies and brands. Pornhub itself is one of the most highly frequented pornography sites, with more than 100 million daily visits and more than 36 billion visits per year, according to the company.

Visa, another payment service used by Pornhub, has said it is investigating the allegations and will take action if the site is not complying with the law.

The allegations against Pornhub have prompted reactions from politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said his government was working with police and security officials to investigate.

MasterCard is also investigating potential illegal content on other websites, the company said.

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